Firefox OS/DogfoodingTips

Please add your own tips and tricks!

Phone Service

Using as your primary phone

Seriously. It's not possible to properly dogfood if you're only using the device as a wifi-only device, and not using as your primary phone. If you're using Android as your current phone and it has a full-sized SIM, you can pop it out and simply put it in the dogfood phone. If you're using iPhone, you'll need to purchase a SIM. Ask your manager for one, or buy a prepaid account or something.

Using as a secondary phone

There are some issues with using and activating prepaid SIM cards on certain carriers. If you discover an issue or workaround, please add it to this list:

• T-Mobile: In the network settings, you will manually need to enter 'epc.tmobile.com' as the APN in order to use data.

Google Voice, the best of both worlds

Hardcore dogfooding means you throw the old phone away and live entirely on your Firefox OS phone. That's reasonable for some people, but not for others (like the ones with children who need to be available for emergencies). So I've been using Google Voice as my primary number, and having it forward to my other devices. This means I can dogfood the Firefox phone, but with a backup in case of bugs or missing functionality.

General Configuration

Importing Contacts

• First, export your contacts in your old phone to the SIM card.
  • Some phones have this feature built-in, check your Contacts app or phone settings.
  • Android: To export Google contacts onto a SIM card (which Android does not do by default), install the free app Contact2Sim. Open the app, select the phone, and in the options menu choose "Copy missing to SIM".
  • iPhone: No easy solution. You could probably sync iPhone to Mac Address Book, and sync that to Google, and then find an Android phone to export those to your sim card.
    • FUTURE: Install the Contacts Backup app, or backup to Gmail from iTunes. Then once Francisco finishes his Google->Firefox OS importer you can import from there.
• Second, put the SIM card in your Firefox phone, open the Contacts app and click the "Import SIM contacts" button.

Email

• Gmail: Built-in.
• Zimbra: Choose "Other email", and enter your account details.
• Hotmail: Built-in.
• Exchange: ?
• Other: Choose "Other email" and enter your account details.

Calendar

• Gmail: Support built-in to Firefox OS Calendar.
• Zimbra: For now, just choose the Zimbra option. The final release will have that removed, and you'll choose CalDav, with the URL of https://mail.mozilla.com.
• Yahoo: Support built-in to Firefox OS Calendar.
• Exchange: Not supported in Firefox OS v1.

Misc

Dogfooding on the Go

The best types of testing is when you're using the phone with everyday use cases. Here's a few of my own User stories:

• While connected to wifi, surf the browser. Walk out of the building to your car, and watch your signal switch to the data carrier network. Continue surfing the browser without interruption.
• Have a set of your favorite music playing in the background. Put on some headphones and go for a run. Stop and answer a phone call, talk to your mother, and hang up to resume where your music left off.
• Pull out your camera app, and take a few pictures of your kids. open them up in the gallery, and make a few contrast and crop edits. Share them via email to your spouse.
• Make a phone call to your friend. when the call is done, save the phone number as a new contact. From the contact app, launch the SMS app and sent him or her a text on how cool your phone is.
• Go to the marketplace, log in and install a few games. Launch and play. Pause the game, open the browser, and search for tips on how to beat that level.
• Set up bluetooth and transfer a mp3 to another phone or computer

Copying Music and Videos

• Connect the device via USB
• Go to Settings -> Media Storage
• Check "USB Mass Storage Enabled"
• Wait for the device to show up on your computer

You can now copy media over to anywhere in the SD card, and it will be indexed and added to the media apps.

• Supported music formats: MP3, OGG, M4A (i.e iTunes AAC files)
• Supported video formats: 3GP, ???

Notes:

• OGG files won't display album art

Dogfooding Complaints

• Twitter app has major problems.
• Camera doesn't support auto focus (not happening for V1)
• Cannot rotate photos (not happening for V1)

Wishlist Apps/Features

• Easy contact import from Google
• Image sync to Dropbox/Flickr
• Image post to Dropbox/Flickr/Twitter/App.net/Facebook/Tumblr
• Music scrobbling to Last.fm

Hardware Notes

General tips and notes on the Unagi dogfood hardware

• Which buttons work on the phone? Only the power (top right edge), volume (upper left edge), home (leftmost lit icon at screen bottom).
• How do I take a screen shot? Press and hold the 'home' button, press & release power button, release 'home' button.
• Earphones w/ mic for Apple/Samsung/HTC don't work on voice call? You can buy a 3.5 mm headset adapter that reverses the microphone and ground pins to avoid this problem.